Microsoft is delving further into the world of IoT and smart building technologies, via a partnership with Johnson Controls to introduce a new smart thermostat.
The GLAS thermostat, as it will be known, was revealed in a YouTube video, and reported by tech site VentureBeat.
Details are thin on the ground, but, as the video reveals, the thermostat will be built by industrial engineering company Johnson Controls, which has previous experience in this area, having created the first electric room thermostat. GLAS will run on Microsoft software.
In particular, the device will be powered by Microsoft’s Windows IoT core operating system, developed specifically for smart devices. It will also be among the first smart thermostats on the market to feature the company’s Cortana voice activation, and will include support for Microsoft Azure IoT cloud services, too, something which the companies hope will appeal to businesses and commercial properties.
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Translucent touchscreen
According to the video, GLAS features a translucent touchscreen, and, like the typical thermostats that most consumers are familiar with, sits on the wall of the property. It will presumably compete against other smart thermostats from the likes of Nest and Ecobee.
GLAS will be responsible for the daily reporting of insights to create a comfortable atmosphere in the home or business. Supposedly, it knows when someone is in a room or not, and constantly monitors indoor and outdoor air quality, so that it can intelligently change its settings to create a comfortable environment. Naturally, the major benefit from a business perspective is the thermostat’s capacity to drive energy savings.
There is, as yet, no word on when GLAS will launch and how much it will cost. It is also unclear if GLAS will be made available to consumers. For a better idea of what GLAS will look like, check out the video below.
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